AFGHAN ELECTIONS: GERMANY BELIEVES IT HAS RC-NORTH

C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 001687 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/RPM - AARON COPE AND SCA/A - NISHA SINGH E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/17/2018 TAGS: NATO PREL MARR MOPS GM AF SUBJECT: AFGHAN ELECTIONS: GERMANY BELIEVES IT HAS RC-NORTH SECURITY SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS COVERED REF: A. STATE 131480 ¶B. BERLIN 1604 Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR JEFF RATHKE. REASONS: 1.4 ( B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Germany has readily accepted the burden of coordinating the fulfillment of security support requirements in the north for the 2009 Afghan elections. In fact, German officials believe they already have most, if not all, of the requirements covered. Germany is hopeful that the relatively peaceful voter registration process in the north augurs well for next year's election. END SUMMARY. ALREADY DONE THAT ¶2. (C) Post delivered ref A talking points and non-papers on December 17 to MFA Afghanistan Affairs Director Ruediger Koenig and ISAF Action Officer Lukas Wasielewski, who confirmed that Germany, as commander of RC-North, was willing to take responsibility for coordinating the fulfillment of election support requirements in the region. They noted that this had been one of Germany's key objectives at the November 26-27 RC-North Chiefs of Defense (CHODs) conference in Berlin (ref B). They emphasized that Germany already has a plan for covering most, if not all, the key election support requirements in RC-North, which it will formally announce at the January 14 SHAPE force generation conference. DECENTRALIZED APPROACH ¶3. (C) As tentatively agreed at the RC-North CHODs conference, Wasielewski said the plan was to meet the requirement for an additional infantry battalion by having each of the five PRTs in the north augment its forces with an additional infantry company during the election period. Each PRT would also be responsible for providing the necessary ground transport for these additional units. He said that all three of the other PRT lead nations (Sweden, Norway, and Hungary) have agreed in principle to do this at their respective PRTs. Germany will take responsibility for reinforcing its own PRTs in Kunduz and Feyzabad. Wasielewski confirmed that Germany planned to deploy two additional CH-53 helicopters to Afghanistan during the election period, which will be stationed at Mazar-e-Sharif. They should be ready to deploy by March or April, so they should be available even if the election is held as early as May. By being based in Mazar, they will be available to support the Swedes, who lead the PRT there. ¶4. (C) Norway is expected to have its own rotary wing assets (three Bell helicopters) at its PRT in Maimana by the time of the elections. Wasieleweski said Hungary, as lead nation for PRT Pol-e-Khomri, has asked for logistical assistance from Germany since it has no rotary wing assets of its own. Wasielewski said Germany is still considering how best to support the Hungarians. Finally, Wasielewski confirmed that Germany will provide the necessary information, psychological and civil-military coordination teams, as well as a deployable role 2 medical facility in support of the Afghan National Security Forces during the election period. SMOOTH REGISTRATION PROCESS ¶5. (C) Wasielewski noted that in RC-North, the voter registration process has been conducted practically incident-free. Germany is hopeful that this augurs well for a peaceful election, and believes its election support plan is appropriate for the level of expected threat. Koenig